The panel, to be helmed by Jason Helgerson of Wisconsin fame, will also include lawmakers Kemp Hannon, Tom Duane, Richard Gottfried and Joe Giglio — the nominees from the majority and minority conferences of the Senate and Assemblu, doubly respectively.

Here’s the governor’s release:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the members of his Medicaid Redesign Team. The Team, established by an Executive Order announced by Governor Cuomo in his State of the State address, is charged with finding ways to save money within the Medicaid program for the upcoming state budget for the 2011-12 Fiscal Year.

“This team is tasked with the challenge of reversing a decades’ long crisis of overspending and waste in our Medicaid system,” Governor Cuomo said. “We need to come together to find solutions to bring costs down without compromising care for New Yorkers and that is exactly what this team is going to do.”

Governor Cuomo today participated in the team’s first meeting via conference call. The Team must submit its first report with findings and recommendations to the Governor by March 1 for consideration in the budget process. The Team shall submit quarterly reports thereafter until the end of Fiscal Year 2011-12, when it disbands.

New York State Medicaid Director Jason Helgerson will serve as the Team’s executive director and the state Budget Director will serve as a non-voting member.

New York’s multi-billion dollar Medicaid program is paid for by state, county and federal taxes. In a majority of the State’s counties, Medicaid costs alone account for more than half of the entire county tax levy. New York spends more than twice the national average on Medicaid on a per capita basis, and spending per enrollee is the second highest in the nation. At the same time, New York ranks 21st out of all states for overall health system quality and ranks last among all states for avoidable hospital use and costs.

The members of the team are as follows:

• Michael Dowling, President and CEO of North Shore LIJ Health system.

• Dennis Rivera is the former Chair of SEIU Healthcare and is currently the Senior Advisor to the International President of SEIU.

• Kenneth E. Raske is the President of the Greater New York Hospital Association.

• George Gresham is the President of 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.

• Dan Sisto is the President of the Healthcare Association of New York State.

• Frank Branchini is the President and COO of EmblemHealth.

• Eli Feldman is the President and CEO of the Metropolitan Jewish Health System as well as the Chairman of the Continuing Care Leadership Coalition.

• Carol Raphael is the President and CEO of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York.

• Linda Gibbs is the Deputy Mayor of New York City for Health and Human Services.

• Ed Matthews is the CEO of the United Cerebral Palsy of New York City as well as the President of the Interagency Council.

• Dr. Nirav Shah is the newly nominated Commissioner of Health.

• Mike Hogan is the Commissioner for the Office of Mental Health.

• James Introne is the Deputy Secretary for Health and the Director of Healthcare Redesign.

• Max Chmura is the Acting Commissioner of the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities.

• Arlene Gonzalez-Sanchez is the newly nominated Commissioner of the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.

• Lara Kassel is a Coordinator at Medicaid Matters New York.

• Karen A. Ballard is the President of the New York State Nurses Association.

• Stephen J. Acquario serves as the Executive Director of the New York State Association of Counties.

• Dr. Jeffrey A. Sachs is the Co-Chair of the JFK Jr. Institute for Work Education at City University of New York.

• Ann F. Monroe is the President of the Community Health Foundation of Western and Central New York.

• Steve Berger is the former Chairman for the Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century and a board member for the Partnership for New York City.

• Dr. William Streck is the Chair of the New York State Public Health and Health Planning Council.

• Elizabeth Swain is the CEO of the Community Health Care Association of New York State.

• Senator Kemp Hannon is the former Chairman of the Senate Committees on Health and Housing. Senator Hannon was appointed by the Majority Leader of the Senate

• Senator Tom Duane is the former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, 2009-2010. Senator Duane was appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate.

• Assemblyman Richard N. Gottfried serves as the Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Health. Assemblyman Gottfried was appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.

• Assemblyman Joe Giglio of the 149th Assembly District currently sits on the Medicaid Waste, Fraud and Abuse Task Force. Assemblyman Giglio was appointed by the Minority Leader of the Assembly.

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